Call on
Abdullah to withdraw his ban on Article 11 and inter-faith forums as
Malaysia should be a world model of religious freedom and inter-faith
harmony – the reason for his invitation to address Helsinki ASEM summit in
September

(Parliament, Thursday) The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should withdraw his ban on the holding of Article 11
and inter-faith forums as Malaysia should be a world model of religious
freedom and inter-faith harmony – the reason for his invitation to deliver a
keynote address at the sixth Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) in Helsinki on Sept.
10 and 11.

Finnish ambassador to Malaysia
Lauri Korpinen said in Kuala Lumpur yesterday that the European Union (EU)
looks forward to Abdullah’s attendance as it wants the prime minister to
share the Malaysian experience in race relations and take part in the Asem
inter-faith dialogue in Helsinki.

Ambassador Hanna Lehtinen, head
of the Asem6 secretariat (America and Asia) said the secretariat had
approached Abdullah and to date the indications were that he would attend
the meeting.

Abdullah should head an
inter-faith delegation to the Asem Summit in Helsinki so that leaders of the
25 European Union countries will have the opportunity to have first-hand
experience to interact not only with the Prime Minister but also
representatives of the major religions in Malaysia.

We cannot deny that Malaysia is
going through a difficult patch and challenging time in inter-faith
relations in the country as illustrated by Abdullah’s misguided directive
after Tuesday’s UMNO Supreme Council meeting to stop immediately all
Article 11 forums on freedom of religion, on the ground that they cause
tension in our multi-religious society.

The directive is misguided and
should be withdrawn for three reasons:

It confused
the objective of Article
11 coalition to uphold freedom of religion with the controversial
Inter-Faith Commission (IFC) initiative. As the Article 11 coalition
statement clarified yesterday, its activities are focused on the rights
and guarantees of citizens under the supreme law of the country and not
aimed at reviving the initiative to establish an IFC.

It revives
the most unhealthy and dangerous practice that the peaceful, democratic
and non-violent defence of constitutional rights can be suppressed by
the breaches of the peace, unlawful acts and even threats of violence
making a total mockery of the Rukunegara principles, in particular on the
Supremacy of the Constitution and the Rule of Law.

The
arbitrary and non-consultative nature of the directive, as it was made
without reference, discussion or consent first with the other Barisan
Nasional component parties.

If threats to
breaches of the peace and violent protests can succeed in shutting down
peaceful and lawful Article 11 forums, will majority brute force be allowed
henceforth to trample on the constitutional rights of minorities, regardless
of race, religion or political beliefs?

Will one day
soon come when forums and public meetings to defend the original
nation-building principles of the country as represented by the “social
contract”, 1957 Merdeka Constitution and 1963 Malaysian Agreement that
Malaysia is a democratic, multi-religious and secular nation with Islam as
the official religion but not an Islamic state – a position which had been
consistently upheld by the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman,
Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn – be regarded as threats to national security
on the same ground that “they
cause tension in our multi-religious society”?

Utusan Malaysia today carried a
front-page report “Kabinet arah henti bincang isu sensitive agama”, saying
that those who violated such a ban, including the media, are liable to
severe penalties.

It is most shocking if the
Cabinet should unilaterally impose such a ban a day after the UMNO Supreme
Council meeting, without the fullest consultation with all concerned groups
including political parties, MPs, religions, NGOs and the civil society – as
it will not be consistent with Malaysia’s reputation as a country where
freedom of religion and inter-faith relations in a plural society is a
model for the rest of the world.